Monument Lefebvre National Historic Site of Canada

On-line Guided Tour

What You See on the Site:

You drive on to the grounds of the Memramcook Institute up a curved driveway with the Monument Lefebvre emerging from a park-like setting of trees. At the crest of the hill you reach the site's parking area. Following the directional signs, you take a short walk around to the front of the building. Etched in stone above the main entrance for all to see is the word LEFEBVRE in tribute to a builder of the New Acadia.

You enter the building, pay the entry fee and receive an orientation to the site.

Welcome! We will start our tour in the subdued light of the first floor's main corridor.

Here, we can gain insight into the broader aspects of Acadian history from its beginnings up to the Deportation of 1755. An early map shows the location of settlements; a handmade quilt illustrates the rich oral traditions of the Acadians where the folklore of a people was handed down from one generation to the next, and a traditional hooked rug depicts, in contemporary imagery, the Deportation of the Acadians. A recent map shows the areas to which the Acadians were deported and the odyssey of their return to new areas of their former homeland. A final visual element of the corridor area is the commemorative stained glass window paying tribute to the building's namesake, Father Camille Lefebvre.

Here we learn more about how, in the latter years of the 19th century, Acadians evolved a common value of education and collective political action to ensure their cultural survival as a distinct people. Economics, material culture and other aspects of Acadian life all contributed to the awakening effort. The space also features a computer terminal to access Acadian on-line resources, and a multimedia audio-visual station that allows visitors to see videos and hear music reflective of Acadia today. There is also a rack of the Acadian newspapers from the four Atlantic provinces.

Leaving the audio-visual space, we cross the central corridor into the Boutique du Monument, the site sales outlet, containing a rich variety of books and merchandise relating to Acadian culture. Turning left, we see a small library of books on Acadia and a space devoted to travelling exhibits on Acadian themes.

We have completed our look at the first floor area and now we'll follow the crowd to the building's second floor and the magnificently restored 400-seat auditorium. Theatrical events were a colourful part of the Monument Lefebvre's past and the space is being reborn as a venue of exploration of Acadian culture. We can view one of the daily showings of Acadie/ Liberté, a contemporary film on the Deportation. The theatre also hosts a lecture series, periodic concerts and presentatons, all with an Acadian link.

The Monument Lefebvre National Historic Site is a venue of history that was vital to the Acadians of Atlantic Canada a century ago. Today it plays a similar role as a symbol of a people's vitality and broad-ranging contributions to the contemporary Canadian mosaic.